Hillary Clinton: I take responsibility for Benghazi attack

Hillary Clinton has said she takes full responsibility for the security
failures that led to the death of the US ambassador to Libya, an admission
designed to draw criticism away from Barack Obama in the final weeks of the
election.

The US Secretary of State said she was determined not to allow the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans to be used as "some kind of political gotcha" and that her department, not the White House, was responsible for their protection.

Mrs Clinton, herself a former presidential candidate, rarely strays into domestic politics but her intervention the night before the second presidential debate came as the Obama administration faced increasing political pressure over its handling of the September 11 attack.

Vice President Joe Biden has been criticised by Republicans for saying "we didn't know" that diplomats on the ground had repeatedly requested - and been denied - more protection in the weeks before the attack.

The White House was later forced to clarify that he was speaking on behalf of himself and the President but that the State Department had been aware of the pleas for more security.

Mrs Clinton last night tried to shield Mr Obama from further attacks, telling CNN: "I take responsibility" for the security decisions made before the attack.

"I want to avoid some kind of political gotcha," she said, noting that there are only three weeks left before the election.

Mrs Clinton also played down the administration's initial description of the attacks as a peaceful protest that spun out of control, saying there was always "confusion" during fast moving international incidents.

Speaking during a round of interviews while on a trip to Peru, Mrs Clinton also promised a thorough investigation and told CBS News: "Nobody wants answers more than I do."

"These were people who I care deeply about. I knew Chris Stevens. I asked him personally to be in Benghazi during the revolution. I personally nominated him to be ambassador because I couldn't think of a better person to represent the United States," she said.

Mrs Clinton also vowed that American diplomats would continue to represent their country even in dangerous environments.

"We can't not engage," she said. "We cannot retreat."

Mrs Clinton is widely respected by both Republicans and Democrats but her intervention is unlikely to deter Mitt Romney from raising the issue during Tuesday's debate in New York.

Supporters of Mrs Clinton fear that her own legacy over four years at the State Department may be tarnished by the attacks in Libya and could damage a potential 2016 presidential bid.